Sandy Bay Roatan Restaurants

Roatan Tales & Sandy Bay Roatan Restaurants:

Believe it or not, there is a bit of Casablanca in Sandy Bay Roatan. You see, many years ago, there were a couple of restaurants that were “THE RESTAURANTS” in Honduras: Ricks American Café, owned by a Bostonian called Rick, and the Blue Parrot Café, both were located in Sandy Bay. Between them, they controlled an important part of the diners that were out to get the best possible dinner in Roatan. Although the plot of Casablanca did not really repeat itself here, I have no doubt that many different dubious characters showed up and had dinner at either one of these restaurants. Ricks American Café has been closed for several years, but the Blue Parrot Café remains open, and although it is not the most popular of Sandy Bay Roatan Restaurants as it once was, it is still a piece of local history you might enjoy!

After this short island anecdote, I am happy to share the list Sandy Bay Roatan Restaurants that I believe are worth your time:

The Blue Parrot

One of the oldest restaurants in Roatan, it certainly is the oldest of all Sandy Bay Roatan restaurants! It has changed hands so many times, that it hardly retains items from its original menu, but the open deck and general feeling of the place is still there. The restaurant takes pride in its Jamaican specialties, which includes jerked chicken, beef and even shrimp. Menu is without doubt Caribbean! Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. til 10:00 p.m. No credit cards accepted!

La Dolce Vita

The lovely pool at the Mayoka Boutique Hotel in Sandy Bay, Roatan

Located at the Mayoka Boutique Hotel, La Dolce Vita is one of the most outstanding gourmet
Sandy Bay Roatan restaurants. Perfect for a romantic ocean view candlit dinner, savoring your favorite wine and enjoying gourmet Italian cuisine. La Dolce Vita is open daily for lunch and dinner from noon till 8:00 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended. Home made pastas and bread, great seafood, steaks and veggie dishes.

Sunken Fish

The Sunken Fish Restaurant at the Tranquilseas Eco and Dive Lodge

Located in the Tranquilseas Eco Lodge, this restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A lovely roof top terrace acts as the scenario for a unique view, great for sunsets over the Caribbean, as well as the area of the restaurant and bar at the unique Tranquilseas Eco Lodge. The menu is very complete, and includes sandwiches, soups, salads and main courses, including alternatives for kids. A variety of tropical cocktails are offered to help you relax while you enjoy the sunset. Daily happy hour from 4 to 6 in the afternoon. Outstanding service. Certainly worth a visit!

Blue Bahia Beach Grill

Lunch at the Beach Grill at Blue Bahia, Sandy Bay, Roatan

Right on the water, and offering outstanding burgers and seafood dishes. Blue Bahia is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8:00 a.m. till 10:00 pm. Outstanding service, great food and spectacular sunsets. They offer a variety of options, including lobster, shimp, tenderloin steak and fish. Perhaps the most outstanding items are the dry rubbed and slow smoked pork and beef dishes, smoked in their own smoker, the only brick smoker on the island! Service is outstanding and the sunsets truly spectacular. Owners Rob and Lisa are usually on premises and great hosts!

One of the greatest bars and restaurants in Utila has ceased to exist. As a matter of fact, it pretty much died when its founder, Lee Odelein passed away a few months ago. Rehab Bar came to be under the direction of Lee. He was a friendly, charismatic fellow who knew how to run a restaurant bar.

Travel between Roatan and Utila used to be nuisance. With no regular service scheduled between the islands, you had to travel to La Ceiba and then backtrack to the other island. Fortunately, that is all part of the past.. The Utila Dream Ferry Service now operates daily between both islands.

This week I was in Utila. I needed to run some errands and hired one of the local “tuk tuks” or motorcycle taxis. These are three wheel motorcycles made in India. They are ideal for Utila, because they are narrow and fit well in the local pedestrian streets. So I flagged this taxi, negotiated the […]

I guess I am a born explorer. Perhaps not your Indiana Jones adventurer going way off the beaten path to follow a quest. But I am one to take a turn on the road and see where it leads. Today while in Roatan, I did just that, and went down a steep road following a sign that said “Ibagari”.

Since I live in La Ceiba, travel to Roatan is easy. I have two options: I can fly or take the ferry. When I first moved to Honduras, I could only fly, as there was still no ferry service available. Fortunately, we now have a state of the art ferry that is efficient, safe and fast!

Also known as the “Cave of the Glowing Skulls” these unique caves are near Catacamas. Catacamas is one of the two important cities in Olancho, Honduras. The find was unique, as the caves served as a ceremonial burial ground for an ancient civilization. Olancho is officially outside the Mesoamerican region.

Olancho is a department in Honduras. It is the largest department in the country and is even bigger than El Salvador. For most travelers, Olancho is way off the beaten track. I must confess, it had been a good 15 years since I visited Olancho. I took advantage of a trip to Tegucigalpa last week […]